Talcum Powder Ovarian Cancer Link

In light of a recent multi million-dollar lawsuit award against Johnson and Johnson, makers of talcum powder, I thought I would discuss the validity of this link between ovarian cancer and talcum powder.

The connection between talc and ovarian cancer is interesting from a purely chemical aspect. Talcum powder contains talc a mineral that's essentially hydrated magnesium silicate. H2Mg3(SiO3)4. It has been used in baby powder for a very long time. Talcum powder also contains cornstarch.

Recently, a link has been suggested between talc and ovarian cancer. As it turns out, talc is suspicioned to cause both lung cancers and ovarian cancer. At one time, talc also contained some asbestos, but has not since the 70's. Asbestos is known as a cause of mesothelioma, a kind of lung cancer. It's possible that talc could also cause lung cancer but no reliable data has been produced to indicate this.

There have been several successful lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, including a recent $417 million award to a California woman. Several suits are pending.

Before all of these cases, the main concern was that talc could cause lung cancer, especially in people connected to its manufacture.

There have been many studies to find a link between talc and ovarian cancer, both in the lab and with people. The results have been mixed, showing a slight increase in risk in some tests. The conclusion is that for women, it could be risky to use it. IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) has classified talc that contains asbestos as carcinogenic. They also classify talc to be a possible risk for ovarian cancer.

At this point, it would be risky for women to use talc-based powder. However, the link between talc and ovarian cancer is rather inconclusive at this point, but that's not what a civil trial is based on. All that lawyers have to do is convince a jury that something is dangerous and the deal is done.

It's hard to imagine how talcum powder could migrate from the vagina area up into the fallopian tubes to the ovaries. That's a stretch, but it is possible over a long enough period of time. Believe it or not, talc is also suggested in prostrate cancers. I'm not sure how that works.

My take on this is that Johnson & Johnson will claim that talcum powder does not cause ovarian cancer, but they're biased. However, It won't stop them from being sued. I would suggest that women forget about using it, especially around the genital area.

Thanks for reading.